EE UK’s New Service Makes Capped Mobile Data Plans Unlimited
Mobile operator EE (BT) has today soft launched a new ‘Stay Connected‘ feature for Pay Monthly customers, which means that 4G and 5G plans with a capped data allowance (mobile broadband) will be able to continue using the internet “at no extra cost” even when their monthly allowance runs out. Obviously, there’s a catch.
The operator said that the aim of their “Stay Connected” service, which is set to become available from 7th July 2021 (tomorrow) across new ‘Smart’ and ‘Essential’ Pay Monthly handset plans and SIM-Only plans, is for EE to become the “only network in the UK to ensure customers across all of its new tiers of Pay Monthly plans are always connected at no extra cost if their monthly high-speed data allowance runs out.”
The feature works by automatically switching on once a customer has used their monthly data allowance, but the catch is that it will drop your mobile broadband speeds to just 0.5Mbps (or 2Mbps if you’re an NHS Worker – more on that later). EE states that this is “fast enough for customers to send and receive data messages, check their emails on the go, and get where they need to with access to maps,” although downloading from Google Maps at 0.5Mbps can be painfully slow.
Nevertheless, this is a good service feature, and we’re sure that many customers will welcome the addition of such a fallback. Customers will still have the choice of a data add-on if they would like to continue with full speed data, or they can receive additional data from someone on the same shared plan via data-gifting.
Marc Allera, CEO of BT’s Consumer Division, said:
“We’re always looking for ways to offer our customers the best experience when using our award winning 4G and 5G networks. That’s why we’re introducing ‘Stay Connected’ data in our new pay monthly plans, becoming the only major UK network to enable customers to stay connected at no extra cost when their monthly data allowance runs out.”
On top of this EE has also announced that the 300,000 NHS workers already receiving unlimited data on their network will continue to do so “at no extra cost,” albeit “at a speed fast enough for instant messaging, web browsing and streaming music and video” (i.e. the 2Mbps mentioned earlier).
NHS workers new to EE or upgrading will further benefit from 20% off their monthly price plan with the option to extend this for to up 4 friends or family members. NHS workers will also be offered priority mobile phone repairs, so if their phone breaks, EE will fast-track it to be fixed.
Customers can get the repair service by popping into an EE store, or a courier will be sent to collect their handset whether that’s at home or at work. Customers can also borrow a replacement phone from one of EE’s stores while the repair is taking place.
The new EE NHS offer is open for new registrations online from July 7th 2021 (here), to all EE pay monthly customers who have a valid NHS email address or NHS photo ID. It is also available to NHS workers who have already signed-up to the existing unlimited data offer, and they will be enrolled onto the new offer automatically.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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Well they aren’t the only network to do this, giffgaff beat them to it with their reduced speeds after the 80gb via the Always On goodybag.
The key difference being that EE are doing it across all their capped plans, not only on a specific package.
Try re-reading what they have quoted. They say they are the first to launch across all their new plans, not just a specific (and more costly) one.
I guess there’s some truth in it then.
Man on the go + trying to read the news = disaster.
While stopping roaming in the EU.
Pathetic.
Until BT sells EE
They haven’t stopped it, they’re just making people pay for the privilege.
I’ve had this on my plan since 2018 with a 100gm limit, it’s the ‘endless lower speed add on’ so not nee?
Smart benefit tariffs did have this added as a perk but now it’s across all tariffs as mentioned above and in the article.
You already pay a lot for EE so that’s a nice benefit I guess
“A lot”? That’s a bit of a sweeping statement. On EE I pay a tenner a month for 10gb data and unlimited calls and texts on a sim only plan, purchased through uswitch. Is it the cheapest? No. Is it a very good price? Absolutely.
@oopsy daisy, yeah but that contract will go up every March and at the end of the contract it’ll go up dramatically in price. EE will make you pay one way or another.
EE are tight arse! Should be capped at 2Mbps would better for all of us. EE – You are ASHAMED!
Not really tight as now basically every pay monthly customer has unlimited data and if you were allow their 17.2 million pay monthly customer base access to 2mbps then it could have lead max theoretical data usage of 32Tbps which way too much for any network to handle, with the 0.5mbps cap it’s only 8Tbps which is far palatable.
I can see a lot of Three customers moving to take advantage of the 0.5Mbps speed upgrade.
Well played Sir.
Well played indeed
mike ref ‘I can see a lot of Three customers moving to take advantage of the 0.5Mbps speed upgrade.’ I doubt that most would notice such as small difference, are you sure?
You had me there! Three has been abysmal since around 2014 when they attracted data hungry people with the lower prices; even more so in the last 2 years.
I think a lot of the mobile companies will start doing this because of text messaging and support. Text messaging is moving over to RCS and is becoming a data service, so to avoid customers losing their text messages it makes sense to keep data alive all the time. As support moves to chat services or messaging apps, again it makes sense to be able to stay connected to their customers. Plus the safety aspect is important with phones having emergency options such as tracking to trusted contacts, those continue to work even if the person runs out of data. I also strongly suspect OFCOM will at some point make it mandatory that data is never cut off completely due to the safety aspect.
Does this apply to existing customers?
This is all well and good, but for £16 p/m you can get a proper unlimited (1 year) contract from three. Smarty is sometimes cheaper than this. EE’s 1gb sim card is £14, which isn’t cheap.
How have giffgaff been doing this for years? When your data runs out with them, that’s it. You have to wait out the rest of your plan or bring your next month forward.